In recent years, in vehicles such as hybrid cars, electric cars, and fuel-cell (hybrid) cars, electric components are protected by detecting attachment/removal of a safety cover suitable for a high-voltage electric component.
FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a safety structure or configuration of the above-described electric component. In FIG. 10, a high-voltage connector 101 as an electric component is covered by a cover 102 made of sheet metal so that the high-voltage connector 101 is not in contact with a general user for safety of the high-voltage component. The cover 102 is fixed to a base (base frame member) 105 by mounting bolts inserted through mounting holes 104 and 104 of a mounting plate 103 and mounting holes 106 and 106 of the base 105. Further, a clamp hole 107 for mounting a clamp is formed in the base 105.
A high-voltage main wire 108 is connected to the high-voltage connector 101. In a configuration such that that a high voltage is shut off if the cover 102 is removed is to be employed, a low-voltage circuit 109 is provided as illustrated in FIG. 11.
A high-voltage battery 110 and a high-voltage unit 111 constituting an electric load are connected by a positive-side wire 112 and a negative-side wire 113 arranged in parallel, a high-voltage relay 114 is provided in an intermediate portion of the positive-side wire 112, and a battery wire 116 of an ordinary 12-V battery 115 is connected, as a main wire of the low-voltage circuit 109, to the high-voltage relay 114. An opening/closing detecting unit 117 for detecting an opening/closing state of the cover 102 is connected to the battery wire 116.
The opening/closing detecting unit 117 is arranged at a position P on the base 105 (FIG. 10) at which the opening/closing state of the cover 102 can be detected. As the opening/closing detecting unit 117, a micro switch 118 is provided, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 12. This micro switch 118 connects the positive-side wire 112 and the negative-side wire 113 to a switch main body 119, and flange portions 120 and 120 of the switch main body 119 are fixed to the base 105, and when the cover 102 is brought into contact, the switch is vertically moved and performs an ON/OFF operation.
Furthermore, as the opening/closing detecting unit 117, a receiving switch 121 is used as illustrated in FIG. 13, for example. The receiving switch 121 is formed of a fixed-side connector 122 fixed to the base 105 side and to which the positive wire 112 and the negative wire 113 are connected and a movable-side connector 125 incorporating a bus bar 123, mounted to the cover 102 by a mounting member 124 and detachably attached to the fixed-side connector 122.